


All the Wrong Places

by JasnNCarly



Series: Claudia and Jason [4]
Category: General Hospital
Genre: Gen, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-05-08
Updated: 2010-05-08
Packaged: 2020-05-19 05:52:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 999
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19350811
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JasnNCarly/pseuds/JasnNCarly
Summary: Claudia is having a hard time figuring out what is real, and her brother worries that she may discover it too late.





	All the Wrong Places

“You know,” His voice caused her body to tense up, her fingers frantic in the removal of her streaming tears, “we don’t get happy endings in this family, Claudia.”  
  
Rather than answer him, she continued to stare through the hospital room glass. The tears were becoming so strong that she could see nothing beyond them, but she was desperately trying. She wanted to see if he moved, if the doctors expressions changed, if he would have the strength to yell at her one more time and tell her this was all her fault. She needed that. She needed a reason to hate him, a reason to feel anything but what she did.  
  
“You can’t be here. You know that.”  
  
“I’m not leaving.”  
  
“Don’t be stupid, all right? We declared war tonight, and the last place you need to be seen is at Morgan’s bedside.”  
  
Though the warning came with a vicious tone, Claudia could sense her brother’s panic and fear. The only man who had always had her back was trying to save her once again – certainly frustrated that their enemy had protected her from a bullet earlier tonight.  
  
“Sonny’s going to be back any minute or, worse, Carly, and you’re as good as dead. Let’s get the hell out of here.”  
  
“No.” Claudia shook her head, crossing her arms across her chest, and focused her gaze on Jason’s lifeless body, “I’m not leaving him.”  
  
“For crying out loud, don’t make this something more than it is, all right? That kind of thinking is going to get you knocked off.”  
  
“He saved me.”  
  
“He saved his conscious. He made sure he didn’t have to live with offing the woman who helped him through some painful shit. That’s it. Eventually, following Sonny, he’s gonna put a bullet in your head.”  
  
“You’re wrong.”  
  
“I’m not wrong! He’s told you to your face he wouldn’t have a choice.” Johnny’s voice had managed to remain a whisper though the anger and frustration were becoming evident in his boiling presence, especially as he continued to survey the hall way, “Let this go. Let it go quick.”  
  
“He wanted to save me because of what we had. Because no matter how much he denies it, he felt something. He couldn’t anyone hurt me, John, don’t you see that?”  
  
“You’re delusional. Jason Morgan is Sonny’s pet, all right? Once he gets his swat on the nose, trust me, he’ll be hunting you down quicker than ever before. He never strays too far from his master.”  
  
“You don’t know him. You didn’t see—“  
  
“Don’t turn into our father here. He lives in some fantasy where everyone bows to the Zaccharra family but the reality of Port Charles is we are nobody!”  
  
“Leave! Now! You don’t want to be here, and I don’t blame you. But, short of being dragged out by my hair, I’m not going. I have to be here when he wakes up. He has to know that I…”  
  
The moment her voice trailed off, her certainty oozing into insecurity, Johnny released a defeated laugh, “Shit.” Skeptical and surprised, he fell against the wall, “You’ve got to be kidding me. Tell me you’re not in love with this bastard. This piece of—“  
  
“Our family doesn’t love, John, remember?” Her vicious counter caused his look to soften and gave her the confidence to return her gaze to Jason, “But loyalty? That’s something I easily understand, and I owe that to him.”  
  
“How do you think he’s going to feel if you wind up dead outside his hospital room, huh? Think that’ll make him heal quick? Have him stay loyal to the only family he’s ever known? ‘Cause it won’t. You’re going to make him regret what he did on instinct by staying here. You might as well spit in his face.”  
  
Claudia caught the switch, baiting him with the same mentality, “I don’t know. How did it feel ditching Lulu for our family’s drama? After it was you two against the world, how’s it feeling now? Kinda like a slap in the face?”  
  
“Pissing me off isn’t gonna help your situation.”  
  
“And pissing me off is doing nothing either. Do yourself a favor and disappear.”  
  
“What? So I can now be responsible for your ending up in a ditch?” Johnny debated for a moment in silence, knowing her heels were dug into the ground with no hope of removal. Releasing a deep breath, he mimicked her movement and crossed his arms, “I’m not leaving you.”  
  
Claudia wanted to thank him, but her pride paralyzed her tongue. If there was anyone she trusted to be her eyes when she could see nothing, it was her brother. Forcing tears back, presenting an angry gaze, she went against her façade and extended her hand to him.  
  
Smiling slightly, Johnny caught her fingertips and gripped them tight.  
  
Claudia drew in and released a deep breath slow, unable to conceal her tears while stepping forward. Now, standing beside Johnny, she laid her head on his shoulder and remained focused on Jason.  
  
They stood like that for what seemed like an eternity, silent comfort to their tortured sibling.  
  
“I don’t get why he did it. He didn’t have to. No one would’ve blamed him for letting Sonny get away with it. It’s the business—it’s natural….I should be dead.”  
  
“My best guess is he’s probably asking himself the same question. Sometimes, what would we know professionally and personally are two different things.”  
  
Letting his hand go, she wiped her face completely, “Meaning?”  
  
“Meaning,” Johnny kicked his heel off the wall, glancing in at Jason, “the Claudia he met years ago didn’t have a last name, didn’t have Zaccharra baggage, and she got him.”  
  
“I didn’t though. I didn’t know anything about him then, and I’m more confused now. I would’ve—would’ve put money on the fact he absolutely hated me. That some switch in him just shut off the second he realized who I was.”  
  
“Guess we were all wrong, huh?”


End file.
